SPIRALING red tape is hindering moves to eradicate discrimination in Scottish colleges, an official has said.

The warning comes amid new demands for public bodies to provide separate reports on the work they are doing to tackle race, age, poverty, disability and gender inequality.

Nancy Birney, head of equality at Glasgow Clyde College, said there was a danger of positive change being "eclipsed" by the growing volume and complexity of equality reporting.

The 2010 Equality Act established a number of public sector equality duties including tackling prejudice and eliminating discrimination, harassment and violence.

Mrs Birney said the legislation had brought about significant positive change and provided a common approach with more scope to promote equal opportunities for everyone.

However, in recent years she said ongoing developments around the way equality action is delivered has meant a "loss of focus" on the aims of the legislation.

These include separate gender and access and inclusion action plans for the Scottish Funding Council (SFC), requirements under British Sign Language legislation, a race equality plan for the Race Equality Network and the likelihood of new disability equality plan.

Writing in The Herald she said: "There is a growing level of duplication across all these areas and, with no additional funding or capacity, colleges have had to address this need for increased reporting as best they can from existing resources.

"In addition, this silo approach to reporting means we are no longer looking at equality as a whole, but fragmenting each strand.

"It would appear protected characteristics are emerging singularly again and are competing for priority, creating the potential for progress in this area to stagnate."

Mrs Birney said Glasgow Clyde College was fully committed to promoting and protecting equal opportunities and understood that it must report on the performance of policies and practice.

But she added: "We also recognise there is a danger of positive change being compromised and eclipsed by the growing volume and complexity of equality reporting for specific characteristics.

"Instead of fragmenting individual strands, it would be fairer and more beneficial to identify an efficient process that aligns all aspects."

Chris Oswald, head of policy with the Equality and Human Rights Commission in Scotland, said he recognised the concerns over bureaucracy.

But he added: "The introduction of the new socio economic duty squares the circle of inequality meaning that for the first time colleges must consider the needs of people living in deprivation alongside the needs of disabled people, women, ethnic minorities and other people with protected characterises.

"Given that there is an enormous crossover between the two groups – for example ethnic minorities in Scotland are twice as likely to live in poverty than other communities – this can only be positive."

John Kemp, chief executive of the Scottish Funding Council, said: “Progress on access and equalities is vital ... and college gender action plans and access and inclusion strategies lay the foundation for enhancing the student experience.

"We recognise that the reporting process can be challenging for colleges, but it is reasonable in comparison to the investment we are making and the important role colleges can play in equalities."

Jodie Waite, NUS Scotland's vice president for education, added: "We need to make sure good data is backed up by action on campus.

"Too often students face structural barriers to their education, or don’t see themselves represented in the fields they want to enter, or the curriculum they study. That must end."